गङ्गाक्षेत्र [ gaṅgākṣetra ] [ gáṅgā-kṣetra ] n. " the sacred district of the Gaṅgā " i.e. the river Ganges and two Krośas on either of the banks (all dying within such limits go to heaven whatever their crimes) Lit. W.

" Ganges-supporter " , N. of Śiva (according to the legend the Ganges in its descent from heaven first alighted on the head of Śiva and continued for a long period entangled in his hair cf. Lit. R. i , ch. 44)

गजेन्द्रमोक्षण [ gajendramokṣaṇa ] [ gajendra--mokṣaṇa ] n. " liberation of the elephant (into which a Gandharva had been transformed) " , N. of Lit. VāmP. lxxxiv (also said to be the N. of a part of Lit. MBh.)

( in Gr.) a series of roots or words following the same rule and called after the first word of the series (e.g. [ ad-ādi ] , the g. [ ad ] or the whole series of roots of the 2nd class ; [gargādi ] , the g. [garga ] or the series of words commencing with [garga ] )

गणपर्वत [ gaṇaparvata ] [ gaṇá-parvata ] m. " the mountain frequented by troops of demi-gods " , N. of the Kailāsa (this mountain being the residence of Śiva's attendants as well as of the Kiṃnaras and Yakshas , attendants of Kubera) Lit. L.

गणपाठ [ gaṇapāṭha ] [ gaṇá-pāṭha ] m.a collection of the Gaṇas or series of words following the same grammatical rule (ascribed to Pāṇini) .

गणेश [ gaṇeśa ] [ gaṇeśa ] m. (= [ °ṇa-nātha ] ) N. of the god of wisdom and of obstacles (son of Śiva and Pārvatī , or according to one legend of Pārvatī alone ; though Gaṇêśa causes obstacles he also removes them ; hence he is invoked at the commencement of all undertakings and at the opening of all compositions with the words [ namo gaṇeśāya vighneśvarāya ] ; he is represented as a short fat man with a protuberant belly , frequently riding on a rat or attended by one , and to denote his sagacity has the head of an elephant , which however has only one tusk ; the appellation Gaṇêśa , with other similar compounds , alludes to his office as chief of the various classes of subordinate gods , who are regarded as Śiva's attendants ; cf. Lit. RTL. pp. 48 , 62 , 79 , 392 , 440 ; he is said to have written down the Lit. MBh. as dictated by Vyāsa Lit. MBh. i , 74 ff. ; persons possessed , by Gaṇêśa are referred to Lit. Yājñ. i , 270 ff.)